Out of the Blue
by dev.daily
Summary: AU: For the past fifteen years, it had just been Olivia and her son Gabriel. When she uproots and moves him to Texas to play high school football at one of the best schools in the country, she expects many things. One thing she didn't expect? A change in coaching staff that leaves Gabriel's father, Fitzgerald Grant, as head coach of the team.
1. The Transition

Chapter 1: The Transition

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Scandal, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes and the characters are not mine. In addition, I have no ownership or affiliation with the NFL.

* * *

"Mom, I still don't understand why you took this job. You loved the morning show." 15 year old Gabriel Pope mumbled, looking over at his mother. They were currently taking off on a plane from Chicago to Texas and he was not happy about it, to say the least.

"I took the job for you. There are news shows everywhere, but Walsingham is in Austin and they offered you a scholarship." She told him, looking over and running her hand through his curly hair. "I've already accomplished my dream, now it's your turn."

He sighed, looking out the window and watching the plane climb higher and higher. "I can play football anywhere, Ma."

"But everyone knows that Texas is the place for high school football and Walsingham is ranked seventh in the country. It's pretty much a guarantee to play in college. I just want the best for you, Gabe."

Gabriel just closed his eyes, adjusting his neck pillow and decided to take a nap. He pulled his headphones up from hanging around his neck to over his ears and flicked his music on. Olivia knew exactly how he was feeling. No one wanted to be the new kid, especially in high school and moving from Chicago to Texas would be a huge adjustment. She just wanted better for him than she'd had. At 32, Olivia had faced her fair share of hard times. When she got pregnant at seventeen, she vowed that she would never treat her child the way her parents had treated her.

Olivia had promised herself that she would give her child the world. That was the reason she jumped at every opportunity that Gabriel was presented. When the call had come in January that the athletic director of Walsingham wanted him to join the football program at the private school in Austin, she wasted no time. Gabriel wasn't sure about the change in schools; as a city kid, Texas seemed like a stretch.

"I know you don't see it right now, but it'll all be worth it." She whispered, looking over at her son and trying to convince herself of the same thing.

Olivia then followed his lead, putting in her own headphones and getting in a nap before everything in their lives would change. It was only a short flight, so she didn't have much time left to prepare.

/

"Once you go out there, you're life's never going to be the same. You realize that, right?"

"Is that supposed to stop me? It's not going to stop me."

"I know. Just a last-ditch effort, I guess." James Calloway sighed, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "It's been real, Grant. I'm proud of you, boy. And I'm glad to have been with you every step of the way."

He smiled at the James, pulling him into a hug before turning and taking a deep breath. He straightened out his tie and walked out from backstage. He was immediately bombarded by lights flashing and the sound of cameras rolling. It'd been a long time since he'd been this nervous, but he swallowed and put on his charismatic front. Waving at the crowd, Fitzgerald Grant took his place behind the long white table and began his press conference.

He looked out across all of the reporters, a habit he'd picked up many years ago. He crossed his hands on the table, flashed his charming smile and started on the speech he'd rehearsed so many times.

"There's been a lot of speculation lately, so I'm here to lay all of the rumors to rest." He sighed, smirking and ditching the speech. He chuckled, speaking from the top of his head. "Y'all know I hate making scenes, but they made me do this press conference. Anyway, the rumors are true- I'm officially retiring from the NFL. I'm not gonna recite that sappy speech they had me write, but I do wanna say some things. I want to thank the city of Houston and the entire Texans franchise for welcoming me with open arms. I'd like to thanks James Calloway for taking a gamble on me and drafting me all those years ago. Lastly, all those Texans fans out there who accepted this Georgia boy as your QB- y'all made it all possible. The championships, the Super Bowls, everything was because of you guys.. It's been an amazing run, y'all. But everything has to end and my time has come."

"Thank you, Grant!" A voice shouted from the back of the room.

Fitz chuckled, looking down. As the quarterback who brought the Texans their first Super Bowl trips and wins, Fitzgerald Grant was loved by many Houston residents. He, however, was never in it for the accolades or the fans. He just had an immense love for the game.

"Alright, now I'll answer some questions." He said into the microphone.

"What's next for you?" A reporter from the front row called.

"Well, I don't have the answer to that. I guess I'll find that out with you guys." He smiled, looking around and waiting for the next question.

"He could've played for another season or two. At least!" Gabriel stated matter of factly, to no one in particular. He and Olivia were standing at the bag return, waiting for their suitcases to come around the carousel. His attention, however, was on one of the large televisions situated all around the airport.

"Gabe, could you help your mother?! You can just look this up online."

He glanced over his shoulder, not wanting to look away for too long. "Ma, Grant's retiring. This is his press conference. It's something you gotta see live."

Olivia dropped her bag at his words and her head shot up to the television. "Shit." She mumbled, quickly regaining composure and picking the bag up off of her foot. "Gabriel, can you please help me. I promise you'll be able to watch this entire thing online."

"Sorry, mom." He said, turning around and walking over to her. "It's just that now that Grant's out, the Bears might actually have a chance at a ring!"

"I don't think that he was the only thing holding the Bears back…" Olivia said, jokingly as she and Gabriel started toward the rental car area. "Other players have nothing to do with team's that can't get themselves together."

Olivia didn't really have a team, unlike Gabriel, who was diehard Chicago Bears fan. She had preferences, like the Falcons (as she grew up in Georgia) and teams that had players that she had a fondness for. She did, however, have an understanding of the game and was able to hold her own in a conversation.

Once they were outside, Gabriella checked the number on her keys that told her what spot their rental car was in. Making their way toward the spot, Olivia winced, looking toward Gabriel. "Mom…" he groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. It was a small Honda hatchback. Despite his age, Gabriel was already tall, measuring in at 6'2 on a good day. He could already tell that the hatchback would be uncomfortable.

"It's what they gave me! I didn't pick." She exclaimed.

"Yeah yeah…" He mumbled, getting in and pushing the seat back as far as it would go. His knees still stuck up a bit too high.

Olivia couldn't help but giggle, looking over at him. She patted his knee before backing out of the car, furniture, and other belongings were being driven down on a truck, so they were staying in a hotel for a couple days. When everything arrived for the house, they'd move in.

She stopped at a red light and took in the city. This was really going to be a change for them. "Are you excited about starting two-a-days on Monday?"

"Nobody's ever excited about two-a-days…" Gabriel told his mother. He, too, was looking around the city. Noting the differences between Austin and Chicago.

"Well are you excited to play on a team where everyone's on your skill level?" Olivia questioned.

"Not really." He said, turning and staring at the passing scenery. "They're gonna be a bunch of rich preppy boys. They might _play_ like me but they won't _be_ like me."

"Gabe, you don't know that.." Olivia stated, hated seeing him like this, but she honestly believed that the move would be more beneficial. than harmful.

"Ma, are you serious?" He nearly shouted. "It's going to be a bunch of white boys who think they're the next Tom Brady. I'm gonna be the charity case; the black boy there on scholarship. Back home, I fit in...half the kids at my school didn't have a dad or were being raised by some guy who wasn't really their dad. I'm gonna be a walking stereotype to people here- the black boy with no dad, born to a teen mom. I can already hear what they'll call me. It won't be original, but that's not gonna stop a team full of preps. So, no I'm not excited to play with a team of douchebags, even if they're on my level."

They had arrived at the hotel now and were sitting in the parking lot. Olivia stayed silent, slowly pulling the key from the ignition. "I'm gonna go check in." She said quietly, willing herself not to break down. He'd never voiced that he felt that way, so she always assumed that he didn't care about the fact that she'd been a teenage mother or had raised him on her own.

She quickly exited the car, leaving Gabriel alone. He sighed, running his hands over his face. He knew that he'd hurt her, but he'd been holding it in for so long and once he started, he couldn't seem to stop. Gabriel got out of the car, grabbing his and Olivia's suitcases and made his way into the hotel.

Gabriel stood awkwardly behind his mother, as she talked to the woman at the front desk. Olivia received the room keys and turned around to give one to Gabe. Without a word, the two made their way up to the room.

"You can order some pizza or something." Olivia told Gabriel, placing thirty dollars on the end of his bed. "I'm going to take a bath."

/

Olivia closed her book, placing it on the bedside table. "I'm going to the house in the morning to pick out paint colors, if you want to come. If you don't want to, you can stay here and go to the gym or the pool. It's up to you." She said, turning out the light on her side and getting under the covers. "Goodnight, G."

He looked up from his phone and over at her, only seeing her back as she was facing the other direction. "Mom, I'm sorry." He told her.

"It's fine, Gabe."

"You're sad, Ma. It's not fine. I'm not embarrassed by you or the fact that you had me when you were young. I just hate having to explain myself or defend you to people."

"You don't have to defend yourself to anyone. Do you understand me?" Olivia got up, walking over to Gabriel and holding his head in her hands. "It's no one's business. You're not a stereotype or a statistic. You're so much more than your family, your race or your bank account. You know that life is complicated- never black and white. But you're father loves you, believe me. If anyone has anything to say about your parents, tell them to mind their business."

"I love you, Ma"

"Not as much as I love you.." Olivia mumbled, pulling him into a hug and placing a kiss on his forehead. "Now get some sleep, it's been a long day."

* * *

AN: After last night's hour of pure FUCKERY, I had to write. So...this is what I came up with. Hope y'all enjoy. Just a little heads up, I really don't know much about football, so don't judge me if something is inaccurate. lol


	2. The Start

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Scandal, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes and the characters are not mine. In addition, I have no ownership of or affiliation with the NFL.

* * *

Retirement was treating Fitzgerald Grant well. After his official announcement, he began looking into houses outside of Texas. He'd been living in Houston since he'd been drafted into the league so long ago. However, the condo he'd bought as a 23 year old fresh out of college didn't seem to be fitting in with his 34 year old lifestyle. Eleven years had changed his perspective quite a bit. He didn't know why, but he had the odd feeling that things were about to change. While he was definitely enjoying relaxing and taking it easy, Fitz was definitely ready for the next adventure.

/

"Happy first day of practice!" Olivia exclaimed, as Gabriel walked into the kitchen She spun around and placed a plate on the kitchen island. Beside it, she placed his protein shake that he'd been drinking to get his weight up.

Gabe couldn't help but laugh at his mother's excitement. "Thanks Ma." He mumbled, pulling the seat out and examining the plate. "But why is there so much meat?"

Olivia frowned as she looked down at the plate. It was stacked with so much bacon and sausage that you could barely see the eggs and pancakes underneath. She shrugged, snatching a piece of bacon from the plate. "Protein's good for you, right? I thought you should eat a lot of meat."

"I don't think I can eat this right now." Gabriel stated, walking around the island. He went to one of the boxes, digging until he pulled out his travel bottle and transferred his shake into it from the glass. "I don't wanna eat a huge breakfast before I work out and I'm kinda nervous. But thanks for the thought." He told her, kissing her cheek and grabbing an apple.

"Your mother breaks her back. I wake up at the crack of dawn to make you breakfast before work and this is the thanks I get?!" Olivia said, dramatically.

Gabriel stared at her blankly, before he opened the freezer. Olivia glanced at the already cooked frozen pancakes, bacon, and eggs. She glared at him, covering the food up to eat later. "Well, I cooked the eggs. Now, go get your stuff so I can drop you off before work."

/

"Do you want me to walk you over?" Olivia questioned as Gabriel opened the back door to grab his football bag.

"No, mom. I think I got it…" He told her as if it were obvious. "I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Olivia hopped out of the car, running after Gabriel. Once she'd made it to him, she grabbed his face in her hands. Even in her heels, her son was still significantly taller than her but he was still her little boy. "Listen, I know you're nervous but I'm so unbelievably proud of you. You belong on this team, you wouldn't be here if you didn't. Now go before someone sees you with your mom and you get teased on your first day." She told him with a smile.

Gabe pulled his mother into a hug, before turning and walking toward the field. He paused and turned, calling over his shoulder. "Hey mom, good luck at the new show."

As he was making his way over to field, Gabriel took in the school for the first time. He'd only seen pictures of it up until this point. It was so different from his school in Chicago. The building was made with large red bricks and was surrounded by grass. Plush trees lined the path that led to the front doors that were surrounded by bike racks. It was a huge contrast from his former school.

He stepped on the field, the familiar crunch soothing his nerves. There were six older men in polos lined up as soon as he walked into the gate. He didn't recognize any of them. He'd met the

"What's your name, son?" The first man questioned in a thick country accent; he was definitely from Texas. He was holding a clipboard and his eyes were shielded by sunglasses.

"I'm uh- Gabriel Pope."

"Ahh, the recruit outta Illinois." He checked something on his clipboard, before continuing. "What position do you want to play?"

"I'm a wide receiver." Gabriel told him, confidently.

"You _want _to be a wide receiver. You _were _a wide receiver on your old team, for your old coach. But this ain't your old team. You're on the team, but we're gonna decide what you do." The man told him, tipping his sunglasses.

He turned and looked over his shoulder. "Dave, this is another one of your's." He called to another one of the men in polos before looking back at Gabriel. He pointed back at Dave, before explaining what was happening.

"That's Dave, the offensive coach. Go on over and join the rest of them boys and put on a gold jersey, so we know where you belong. It's gonna be a long day."

Around fifteen minutes later, the sound of the gate clicking shut echoed across the field. the last boy had arrived and they were split into two groups. Gabe and all of the other offensive hopefuls were in gold jerseys, while the defensive hopefuls were in black jerseys.

The man that greeted Gabe when he first arrived walked out into the middle of the field. He surveyed the players with his hands on his hips. "Hello, hello, hello." He started, into a megaphone."For those of you who are new, I'm Assistant Head Coach Phil Cordero. Before we start getting y'all into shape, we've got a bit of news for y'all. This won't impact my new players as much as my returning players, but it's about Head Coach Bill…"

/

"Good morning, Austin, and welcome to another episode of The Morning Buzz! I'm your host Drew and joining me is my new co-host, Olivia. Olivia, here, is joining us from our Chicago affiliate. So, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

Olivia smiled, warmly. "Thanks for the lovely introduction Drew." She turned and faced the camera. "Like you said, I'm from Chicago and I was the co-host of Wake Up Windy City for the past four years. I'm from Georgia, so I'm no stranger to the south. Texas is a little different for us, though." She said, with a chuckle.

"We?" Drew questioned, with a grin.

"Oh, yeah. I have a 15 year old son. He's actually the reason for the move. He'll be playing football at Walsingham! So, I'm definitely looking forward to that." She said, excitedly.

Drew looked down, looking over his half of the stories for the day. He usually had sports, economics, and other local happenings. Olivia, on the other hand, had entertainment, political, and national news.

"Well, it's funny that you mention that. We got word this morning that Coach Bill Lockett was released from his position."

Olivia's eyes widened and she coughed down the sip of coffee she'd taken. "Really?!"

"Yes. Allegations have come to light that he was taking part in an inappropriate relationship with a female student at the school. Olivia, I'm sure you have some thoughts on the subject."

"Well, as a parent, I'm glad that he's gone from the school. However, I hope the rumors are just accusations because I've met Coach Lockett and he seemed like such a nice man. It'd be awful if they were true. But, I do have to admit it makes me wonder how this season will turn out. I moved my son down here to play under someone who'd proved himself a good coach. I just don't want this to affect the team too much."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Drew told her, reading the rest of his notes. "The school has not yet announced his replacement. One can only assume that Assistant Coach Cordero will step up and take over the position, but we'll have to wait on official word."

Olivia composed herself, not missing a beat and carried on to her part of the program. "In lighter news, I hope all of you ladies out there are ready. Austin native Matthew McConaughey is returning to the big screen in a new film. McConaughey announced that he plans to have a premiere, right here in Austin and he's given us ten tickets to give out! Keep tuning in these next two weeks and you may be a lucky winner."

"Annnd cut. Commercial." One of the stage assistants called. Olivia and Drew were immediately met with makeup artists giving them touch ups and readying them for screen.

"How do you really feel about Lockett, Olivia? I could tell that that was the polite television host answer." Drew questioned, with a small laugh.

Olivia smiled back at him. "I think he's a perv and he's lucky that this came out before my son played for him or he'd have to worry about more than jail time." She told him truthfully, pulling out her phone to make sure Gabriel hadn't called or texted her. "And you can call me Liv. Olivia sounds so formal on the air."

"Alright, Liv.." Drew tested, letting her name roll off of his tongue. They might as well get comfortable with one another.

/

Fitz' house hunt had led him to Georgia. He'd spent much of his childhood in the Peach State and he'd always held a fondness for it. As he was touring a particularly large home in the suburbs of Atlanta, he received a phone call.

"Hello?"

"I know you're taking a break, but I also know that you're looking for what's next." Jonathan, Fitz' manager a explained on the other end. "I may have found it."

"And?" Fitz questioned, anticipating the worst.

"How do you feel about coaching?"

"College?" He was being extremely short. He hadn't planned on jumping back into work this quick. But Jonathan knew he loved the game and it was his weakness.

"High school. It's a private school, they're willing to pay a lot to have you coach. I can fax the contract to you hotel if you need some more convincing."

"You know it's never been about the money for me." Fitz sighed; he was really considering the offer. It wasn't common that a Super Bowl winning quarterback became a high school coach, but he loved the thought of being able to sculpt and train young players. "Send the contract over, I'll take a look at it."

Fitz could practically hear Jonathan smiling through the phone. "Yes, sir. I'll be right on it."

"Oh, one more thing. Where's the school, Jon?" Fitz questioned, running his hand through his curls.

"Austin. You wouldn't even have to leave the state."

* * *

**A/N:** Hope y'all enjoy! First of all...WOAH, the response to this was crazy. I didn't think I'd have so many alerts/reviews. I really appreciate it. To answer a common questions Fitz is Gabe's dad...if D hadn't put it in her review, I would've thought I didn't make that clear in the summary. Other questions like does he know about Gabe, what happened between him and Liv, etc. will be answered in future chapters, so keep reading. Thanks again for all the love, y'all are the best!


	3. The Meeting

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Scandal, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes and the characters are not mine. In addition, I have no ownership of or affiliation with the NFL.

* * *

It'd been over a week since Gabe's first practice and he was finally getting in the groove of things. The workouts were much more rigorous and advanced than what they'd done at his public school and for the first time, he was feeling challenged in his workouts. He was finding himself liking the program more and more, everyday. There was, however, one thing that both Gabe and Olivia were unsure of: Coach Cordero.

There was just something about Coach Cordero that rubbed them the wrong way. Usually, Olivia would have given him the benefit of the doubt. She would have chalked the way that he spoke to the children up to him being a southern football coach that was under a lot a stress. She would have done that, had he not been an asshole when she tried to speak with him. After the news broke that the team currently had no head coach, Olivia approached him, trying to get the answers she felt she deserved as a parent. Olivia had asked simple questions, in a civil manner, to which Coach Cordero had snapped at. It was then that she decided that she'd keep an eye on him, until the new head coach, whoever it may be, took over.

Olivia pulled up to the school, parking in front of the field. "Make sure you stay hydrated, it's hot out here." She told him, as he stepped from the car. "And call me if he tries anything, today. Just let me know and I'll handle him!"

"I got it, Ma. You can calm down." He told her, laughing to himself at her rottweiler-like tendencies. He walked toward the field and saw a sign that signaled that they were weightlifting indoors, today. He smiled to himself, thankful to be away from the hot August air as he still hadn't gotten used to Texas weather.

Gabe stepped into the gym, seeing that the team had separated into their usual cliques. He walked over to the other transfers, who he'd immediately gotten along with, and joined their group.

"You know what's going on?" Gabe said, motioning to everyone standing around talking. There were no coaches in the room, yet.

RJ, a tight end and Gabe's closest teammate, nodded at him before answering. "Word is we're getting our new head coach today. The seniors say they're just promoting Cordero and moving everybody else under him up. So, the new coach will be head of JV."

Gabe groaned, throwing his head back. "I don't wanna play for that asshole for the next three years."

"Me, either." RJ mumbled, just as the room filled with claps. Looking around, Gabe saw that Cordero had walked in and it was only the seniors and the juniors clapping.

"Knock it off, boys." Cordero shouted, his face red.

"We're just clapping for our new head c-" One of the boys in the back of the room began to say, only getting cut off by Cordero's furious head shaking.

"I. Said. Knock. It. Off." He repeated, annunciating each word and silencing the rowdy upperclassman. "Y'all probably all know by now that your new head coach arrives today. He's not here, yet, so y'all can get into your usual groups and start on strength workouts until he arrives. This isn't gossip hour, so I don't wanna hear any of you teenage drama."

Coach Cordero started walking through the room and eyeing all of the boys. There was something off about him, today. "I wanna hear y'all counting reps. I wanna see sweat. That's it. Now get to it!"

/

"How long have we been doing this, man?" Gabriel asked RJ, as he pulled his legs into the air for his ninth rep. He was currently on the hanging leg lift machine.

"Too damn long." RJ mumbled, just as the sound of the door opening filled the weight room. The previous times it had opened it had only been Cordero, who had chastised them for stopping their workouts. After the first few times, the boys on the team had learned their lessons. So, this time Gabriel kept his head down and continued on in his workout.

"Gabe…" RJ called him, swatting at his stomach.

"Stop!" Gabe told him, trying to keep his focus.

"Gabe...look who just came in."

Lowering his legs to the ground, Gabe noticed that the clink of the machines and weights and seemed to stop. All of the boys' gazes were trained to the door, toward the man who'd just come in. He had on a baseball hat and sunglasses, but the entire team recognized him immediately. He stood next to a red-faced Coach Cordero, who was the one to speak.

"Boys, I'd like to introduce y'all to your new head coach. Fitzgerald Grant."

Fitz held a clipboard in one hand and stuffed the other into the pockets, venturing into the room. He took in all of their young, eager faces and made mental notes. They all seemed to be buzzing, maybe from being in his presence or possibly because of a high from working out.

"I know this is probably a little shocking and you all have a lot of questions, but I don't want to interrupt your workout. I've decided it'll be best if we hold a meeting will you and all of your parents." Fitz told the group, before turning and looking at Cordero, who was still standing in the doorway. "Can you send all of the parents an email and let them know that they need to come with their child in the morning for the meeting. We won't hold practice tomorrow."

He looked down at his clipboard, scanning a few lines of whatever pages he had. The room was silent as the boys were still completely in shock that an former NFL quarterback was now their coach. Fitz smirked, glancing up at their wide eyes and wide open mouths. "I'm gonna come around and get names and positions. Until I get to you, keep working out. Any questions?"

A skinny blonde, Gabe assumed he was a kicker, raised his hand before calling out from the side. "Coach Cordero told us he'd assign positions."

"That was before I got here. You'll play the position you'd like, unless there's a serious problem. Now get back to what you were doing."

/

With school returning in a matter of weeks, Olivia's morning show was doing daily back-to-school segments. Each piece was pre-filmed and set at a different location. Today, she was filming a piece on easy breakfasts and lunches for parents to make their children.

Placing a few blueberries on top of a parfait, Olivia held it up to the camera and flashed a smile. Sitting it back down, she took a small spoonful before looking at Drew, her co-host. "Delicious and healthy! I know for a fact, that this would be a hit with my son."

Drew nodded at her, turning toward the camera. "So, there you have it. Mother approved. Now, give it a try in your home." He finished the segment with a smile, just before the director yelled "cut."

"You have ten minutes until we film lunch. Be back on set in seven." The director said, dismissing them to their dressing rooms.

As Olivia made her way down the hall toward her dressing room, she pulled out her phone to check in on Gabe. She'd quickly learned after he started practices that her calls would go unanswered until their break, as Cordero had a strict 'no cell phone' , she just sent him a quick text before checking her emails. At the top of her inbox was an email from Cordero and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the subject line. It read: "**Important Announcement for Parents! Please Read!**" She checked the time, seeing that she had four more minutes in her dressing room and opened the email to read it before heading back to set.

To All Walsingham Football Parents &amp; Families:

The Walsingham Football program will be undergoing many changes this upcoming season, including a change in coaching staff. In an effort to answer all questions and avoid any confusion, we ask that _at least _one (1) parent accompany their player tomorrow morning for a mandatory meeting in the auditorium. The meeting will take place at the time that practice is usually held and practice will not take place. Please note that this meeting will answer questions concerning the upcoming season and serve as an introduction to the new coaching staff. Failure to attend the meeting can impact your player's game time and place on the team. We are sorry for the short notice, however, if there is a conflict please make arrangements accordingly.

-Coach Phillip Cordero &amp; Walsingham Football Staff

Looking at the time, Liv saw that she had two more minutes to herself and quickly typed up a response. "Mandatory meeting, my ass." She scoffed, tapping reply. With the short time she had, Olivia typed out a quick response explaining that she couldn't get off from work at such short notice. She finished the email off letting him know that it was inconsiderate and selfish to schedule a meeting at such short notice. It'd been a short time, but her patience was truly wearing thin with Cordero.

/

Fitz had finished going through the defensive players and making note of who seemed promising on his clipboard. He looked around, making sure that there was no one else in the back section of the weight room and walked to the other section with all of the boys he hadn't met, yet.

Making his way to one of the benches, Fitz crouched down and balanced the clipboard on his knee. "Alright, guys I'm just going to take a minute of your time and then you can get back to working out. Starting with you," he said, motioning to the boy in the far left corner. "I need you to say your first and last name and your position."

"Kyle King, QB. I hope to learn some of your tricks, sir." The first boy said, already sucking up to Fitz. He smiled and looked at the boys face, trying to associate names with faces for his memory. Fitz shook his head, waiting for the next boy to speak up.

"David Adams, Center." Fitz repeated the process looking up at his face after he wrote the boy's name down. He looked back down at the clipboard, ready for the next name.

RJ's turn came and he mumbled his name, nervous around the famous player. "Rafael Sola, Jr. I'm a t-t-tight end."

Gabriel nudged him, heckling his friend for freezing up at his turn on the spot. He wasn't shaken in the slightest and spoke confidently as soon as Fitz' eyes returned to the clipboard. "Gabriel Pope. Wide Receiver."

Fitz' hand froze up and the pen fell onto the ground. _Pope._ He dragged his eyes up from the teenager's feet toward his face and nearly fell over at what he saw looking back at him. He looked like _her_. Large round doe eyes, a slender nose, round lips; but his eye color was different. They were a greyish color.

The boy, Gabriel, bent down and handed the pen back to Fitz. "You okay, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm uh-fine. I'm fine." He stood up, glancing at Gabriel one more time. "Cordero, can you finish this off for me. Once everyone's name is written down, they can go home." Fitz handed him the paper and made his way out of the weight room as fast as possible.

He made his way to the room he'd been told was his office. The walls were still empty as he hadn't brought anything in yet, but he didn't care. He just needed to be alone for a little bit. He flung his body into the chair and racked his brain to piece together what he'd seen. There were two many similarities for it to be a coincidence. The boy had to be _her's_. He couldn't even bare to think her name, let alone say it aloud.

The boy couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen, he thought to himself. And then suddenly, like a ton of bricks, he was hit with the memory of a conversation. One of the last times they had talked.

_**Spring 1999**_

The second the coach blew his whistle, signaling that practice was over, 19 year old college freshman Fitzgerald Grant darted for his bag. His Nokia cell phone had been ringing non-stop during practice; he could hear it coming from his bag on the side of the field. Picking up the phone, he saw the missed calls were all from Olivia, his girlfriend of three years. They'd gotten together during her freshman year and had been together ever since. When he found out that he'd be hours away for college, he started saving all of his money to buy his cell phone so they could keep in touch.

Dialing the number he'd memorized so long ago, Fitz let out a sigh. Something had to be up or she wouldn't have called so many times. He heard the click of her answering the phone and smiled instantly.

"I was just home for spring break, Livvie. Did you miss me that much?" He tossed the strap of his bag over his shoulder and started back toward the locker room. She stayed quiet, but he could hear her breathing. "Is everything alright?"

Her voice was a whisper. "I'm late."

He chuckled, rolling his eyes at her. "Late for what, Liv? I'm six hours away. I can't drive you anywhere. Where's your mom?"

"No, Fitzgerald." She never used his full name. "Late, as in I haven't gotten my period and it was supposed to be here by now."

His breath hitched in his throat and he knew she was scared. Hell, he was scared, too. However, Fitz knew that he had to be the strong one. He'd known Olivia too long and knew that she'd freak out and assume the worst. "Listen, Livvie, I love you. If you aren't we'll have to be more careful. If you are, it's not the end of the world."

"Not the end of the world?! Fitz, I'm 17. I'm in high school. You're only 19. How the hell are we going to provide for a kid?"

Fitz was sitting on the ground, outside of the locker room. His head fell into his hands. "I'll go into the Navy. It's what my dad always wanted, anyway. I'll leave school and I'll provide for you, Liv. I love you, okay? I need you to calm down and find out. Let me know. It's not the end of the world, I promise."

"Okay." Her voice was back to whisper. "I'll call you later."

But she didn't call. Weeks went by and he hadn't heard from her, until one day his phone rang at seven in the morning, waking him up from his sleep. It was her.

"Livvie." He let her name out like a wish that had finally come true. "Why didn't you call me? What happened?"

"Fitzgerald," He winced. "I should've called you earlier. I'm-I wasn't pregnant."

"Then why didn't you call me?" Fitz asked her, annoyed with her behavior.

"Because, we need time apart. That was too close and you were willing to give everything up- to drop it all. This is too serious, Fitz. We're just teenagers and I think we should act like it."

"Olivia-"

"Goodbye, Fitz."

When he went back home in May, she was gone. Everyone said that she'd left and moved to Chicago to live with her grandparents. Her parents never wanted to talk or answer his questions. She disappeared, almost as if she were never real in the first place.

_**Present Day**_

Fitz banged his head on the desk, not wanting to look up. He hadn't thought about her in so long or seen her in even longer. It'd taken years for him to move on and let go.

The sound of his door being pushed open filled the room. He assumed it was Cordero, but he found himself mistaken when a woman's voice filled the room. It sounded like-

"Coach Cordero told me I needed to speak with you about this mandatory meeting. I'm not able to make it tom-"

Fitz lifted his head up from the desk, slowly following the woman's body up. He could feel himself getting more and more distressed with every inch. He finally reached her face and their eyes met, her mouth immediately snapping shut.

Fitz hadn't thought about or seen Olivia Pope in a long time, until today.

/

**A/N:** Stephen y'all?! If that wasn't Shonda snatching my edges, I don't know what is. Anyway, the Liv in this story seems to be just as stubborn as real Liv but at least they've finally met again. Now we can get into the good stuff! Just an FYI, present day in this is August 2015. Hope y'all enjoyed!


	4. The Questioning

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Scandal, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes and the characters are not mine. In addition, I have no ownership of or affiliation with the NFL.

* * *

Olivia left the production studio as soon as her segment finished filming. She'd received a text from Gabe letting her know that they'd been released from practice earlier. He informed her that his friend had given him a ride home and that he had exciting news to tell her when she got home. In addition to the text, Olivia had gotten an email from Cordero letting her know that she'd have to speak with the head coach and that he'd be in his office until five in the evening.

It was a short drive from the studio to the school, leaving Olivia with plenty of time to sit and talk with the new coach before five rolled around. She stepped out of her car and was thankful that she'd worn a skirt that day because the sun was beating down. Tossing her blazer back into the car, she turned on her heels and started toward the front door. Luckily, there were signs on the wall pointing to the location of the different departments and offices.

"Can I help you find something, Miss?" A voice came from behind Olivia. A tall, olive skinned man approached her. He had thick black hair and dangerously sexy smile. As he got closer, he removed his sunglasses and Olivia got a better look at him. His creme fitted button down was tucked into a pair of skinny olive green pants, both complimenting his hazel eyes.

"I'm here to see the head football coach. Is that you?" She questioned, earning a charming smile and a chuckle from the man.

"No, but I am here for the same reason. You must be new to the team." He told her extending his hand toward her. "Rafael Sola."

"Oh, I actually think our sons are friends." Olivia said back, shaking his hand. "I'm Olivia. My son Gabriel tells me that he and RJ are getting along."

"Gabe!" He exclaimed, the name clicking in his head. "Yeah, he gave him a ride home today. Why don't we walk and talk? I don't want to hold you up."

The two began down a gold and black corridor, chatting along the way. The reached the few offices that were designated for the football staff and Rafael stopped outside of the first one. "I don't know if I'm being too forward, Olivia, but I don't see a ring on your finger and you're very beautiful. Would it be possible for you to agree to a date with me?"

He looked at her hopefully, as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "I don't know how Gabe would feel about me dating his friend's father…"

"Well, why don't you give me your number now. You can run it by Gabe and I'll do the same with RJ and we can see where it goes from there. If they're fine with it, I'll wine and dine you. If not, I'll be your go-to guy for anything Walsingham related." He persuaded, raising an eyebrow at her.

She reached into her large black purse and pulled out a notepad. Quickly, before she changed her mind, Olivia scribbled her number onto it. Rafael graciously accepted the sheet and held out his hand toward the door. "Ladies go first."

She knocked lightly on the door, before pushing it open. The coach was sitting with his head down, giving her a full view of a head of brunette curls. Olivia didn't know whether she should start speaking or wait for him to look up, but he hadn't seemed to budge i the slightest; so she just began to talk.

"Coach Cordero told me I needed to speak with you about this mandatory meeting. I'm not able to make it tom-"

The coach started to lift his head and Olivia thought that she was hallucinating. As his eyes came into view, she knew that she wasn't mistaken or hallucinating. She was, however, left speechless. She closed her mouth, searching her brain for what to say. It'd been so long, maybe he didn't recognize her. Looking at the expression on his face, Olivia knew that he did. Neither of them spoke; they were too scared to and didn't know what to say.

Olivia forced an awkward smile onto her face, fiddling with her hands. "I'm guessing you're the new coach…" Fitz stared back her blankly, not opening his mouth to respond. "I know it's been a long time and we're both obviously pretty shocked to see each other but-"

"Is that my son, Olivia?" He cut her off, it'd been the only thing on his mind and he needed to know. He knew her. He knew that she'd dance around the issue and he wanted to cut to the chase and avoid the bull.

Her lips were still parted, her mouth hanging open at the blunt nature of his question. When she finally registered that he'd met Gabriel and was putting the pieces together, she quickly closed her mouth trying to figure a way out of answering the question. He was looking at her expectantly. "Fitzgerald, it really doesn't matter wh-"

Fitz slammed his hand on the desk standing up and walking around the desk. She took a step back, holding her purse. "Dammit Olivia! Answer the question, is he or is he not my child."

She didn't respond verbally, but Fitz knew by the look in her eyes. She took a seat in one of the cushioned chairs that faced his desk. He could tell she was fighting back tears, but he honestly didn't give a damn. His mind was going a mile a minute, so many thoughts entering and just as quickly they were being replaced. He didn't know how to feel or how to think straight. He was drawing a blank on what he should say.

He sighed, walking back to his chair and plopping down. _A son. He had a son- a teenaged son._ "How old is he?" He choked out, not making eye contact with Olivia. Not that he could if he wanted to,because she was staring at the floor.

"He'll be sixteen later this year."

"Sixteen." He scoffed, growing more and more disgusted with Olivia by the minute. She'd kept a secret this big for sixteen years. "Is that all you're going to do? Give me short answers?"

"What do you want me to say, Fitzgerald?"

"I want you to own up to what you did." He state like it was obvious. "You were always selfish, Olivia, but I still loved you. I just thought it was because we were young that you only cared about yourself; but I never expected this. How could you?"

Olivia looked up from the ground for the first time since she say down, glaring at Fitz. He saw the look on her face and couldn't figure out how she could actually be mad at him. "Selfish?" She questioned, lowly.

"Yes, selfish. You always only looked out for yourse-"

"I did this for you!" She shouted, standing up from her chair. "I moved my life for you! You had the world in front of you. All of it was right in your hands and I gave you that; the prestige, the fame, the fortune. If you would have left school and gone into the Navy, you would have been miserable. You would have resented me and him."

"You don't know that. You didn't even give it a chance."

Olivia rolled her eyes, wiping away a few stray tears that had slipped. "You would have never been in the NFL and that was your dream, Fitz." She'd used his nickname and not his full name, but that didn't matter because Fitz was still livid.

"You were my dream, Olivia. I would have picked you. I would have picked our son and a life together." He told her, honestly. Fitz had always wondered what made her leave and why he wasn't good enough for her. It had haunted him for the longest time, before he pushed the thoughts and her memory into the furthest corner of his brain.

Olivia scoffed at him. Even after all of the years, he was still just as naive as he was back then. "It was have been the wrong choice." She mumbled, looking back at the ground.

"You took the choice away!" He told her, raising his voice once again. She was still so dense and stubborn; nothing had changed. "It wasn't your choice to make. It shouldn't have even been a choice. He's my kid!"

Olivia straightened her shirt and stood a little straighter, looking at Fitz once again. He was visibly upset and she didn't want to carry on the conversation any longer. "Listen, Fitzgerald- Coach Grant, I didn't come here to discuss _my _child. I came here to talk about the meeting. The short notice was inconsiderate and I'm unable to get off from work."

Fitz reclined in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. He looked up at Olivia, resting his hands on his stomach. "Mandatory. You don't come, he doesn't play. End of story."

"That's not fair…" She said, pleading with her eyes.

"Neither is keeping a child away from their father, but you didn't seem to have a problem with that." He said slyly, quickly cutting his eyes toward her to see her reaction. "Any other questions or problems you have can be addressed at the meeting tomorrow. Goodbye Ms. Pope."

_/_

Olivia put her car in park and pulled down the overhead mirror. She quickly wiped away streaks of black eyeliner and mascara that had escaped her eyes. She checked her eyes to make sure that Gabe wouldn't be able to tell that she'd been crying and dusted her face with a light layer of powder. Olivia grabbed her blazer and her purse and hopped out of her car, making her way toward the front door.

Inside the house, she saw Gabriel sitting on the couch in the living room. She sat her bag and her keys on the entrance table and walked over to join him. "Hey ma." He said, keeping his eyes glued to ESPN on the television.

"How was practice?" She questioned, taking a seat next to him on the couch. Olivia knew that he'd be excited about Fitz taking over and that he'd only want to talk about that.

"It wasn't too bad today. We only did weight room and you know I'm a beast, so it was a piece of cake." Olivia swatted his arm and rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at him. "But the exciting part was our new coach. You'll never guess who it is, Mom!"

Olivia smirked at him. Her run-in with Fitz had been less than ideal and she didn't know how him being around Gabriel would play out. She was happy because of the sparkle in Gabe's eyes. He hadn't been this happy or excited since the move and she was glad to see him literally bouncing with excitement. "I have no idea. Who?"

"Fitzgerald Grant!" He nearly jumped off of the coach. His eyes were glittering and all Olivia could think about was the fact that they looked just like Fitz'. "Two time Super Bowl MVP Fitzgerald Grant. One of the best quarterbacks the leagues ever seen is our coach, mom!"

"He won the Super Bowl and now he's coaching you guys? Sheesh, talk about a downgrade." Olivia said jokingly, earning a glare from Gabriel. "But I'm very happy for you, sweetie." She said, standing up and placing a kiss in the center of his head of curls.

"What do you want for dinner?" She called behind her as she made her way into the kitchen. She went to the sink to wash her hands and hadn't even noticed that Gabriel had followed her into the kitchen.

"Yes?" She questioned, eyeing his lanky figure that stood in the doorway. He stepped into the kitchen and leaned onto the counter as she stepped toward the fridge. "I asked you what you wanted for dinner. Is this you giving up your opportunity to choose and saying you'll be happy with what I make?"

"Yeah, whatever's fine. Just no cauliflower."

"Broccoli it is!" Olivia exclaimed, pulling a head of the vegetable from the bottom drawer of the fridge. Gabriel groaned and dropped his head to the counter. She couldn't help but laugh as she preheated the oven to roast the broccoli and some chicken.

"Mom!" Gabe pulled her attention away from seasoning the chicken. "I told you that a former NFL player is coaching my team. I stood face to face with him today." Olivia had been much closer than just face to face with Fitz. "That's crazy, Mom, and you didn't really say much about it…"

Olivia held her breath, continuing to cook with her back away from him. The conversation was way too reminiscent on the one she'd had with Fitz. "Gabriel, I don't know how you want me to react. I can try to remember one of my cheers from high school, if you want me to, though."

Gabriel shrugged, he didn't know he wanted her to react. He'd just expected the conversation to last longer than thirty seconds. "I guess what you said was fine , but what kind of cheers were you doing in high school. You were pregnant…" He trailed off laughing.

Olivia tossed a glare over her shoulder as she lined up the chicken onto a pan. "You think I was pregnant for four years? There was life before you, Gabriel Pope." She told him, putting the pan in the oven. "Now go clean up. Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

/

Gabriel dragged his fork across his plate, pushing the remnants of his dinner around. He and Olivia were sitting on the couch eating, as they still hadn't fully unpacked and the dining room was a mess of boxes. "Hey mom?"

Olivia put another forkful of food into her mouth, looking away from the movie on the television and toward Gabe at the sign of his voice. "Hmm?"

"Why don't you ever talk about high school?" He questioned, putting his plate down on the middle cushion of the couch. "I never knew you cheered. I've never even seen pictures from then, ma."

Olivia's motions slowed, thinking over Gabriel's words. He'd asked a lot of questions when he was younger, but once he reached around third grade, they seemed to stop. Olivia had never thought that he would start to wonder again, but now that seemed unreasonable of her.

"Gabe, that was so long ago." She started slowly, still thinking up what to say. "I just don't think about it much anymore and all of the pictures of me are at my parents house. Since we don't speak, I don't have any of them."

"It just couldn't have been all bad, mom. Y'know you can talk about it if you want. It doesn't have to be a secret." He told her standing up and taking her plate to walk into the kitchen. You don't even have to talk about him if you don't want to."

"About who?"

"My dad, whoever he is. When I was younger, I could tell that that my questions made you sad and gran always told me not to ask about him. She said you'd tell me everything when the time was right. So, I just want to tell you that I'm older and if you ever want to talk, I'm all ears." He said nonchalantly, sitting back onto the couch and grabbing his phone. He quickly glanced her way again. "And I'm cool with you dating, too. I don't want you to be lonely, so don't let me be the reason you don't go out with anyone."

Olivia simply stared straight ahead. She was worried that if she looked at Gabe she would break and tell him everything, so she didn't dare move. For the first time since finding out she was pregnant, Olivia Pope was in way over her head.

/

Sitting outside of the school, Olivia's nerves began to pick up. She was nauseous at the thought of being in the same room as Fitz and Gabriel, but it was inevitable. The meeting was starting in a matter of minutes. Gabe opened his car door, hopping out and waiting for Olivia.

"RJ said he saved us seats. They're in the front." Gabriel told her, leading the way toward the auditorium. They found RJ and his father and saw that the two seats they'd saved them were on the end of the aisle with the older Rafael sitting next to the empty seat. Olivia stopped once she reached the row and waited for Gabe to walk in. She already had anxiety over Fitz and didn't need Rafael hitting on her in front of her son to make it worse.

"Can I sit on the outside? More leg space." Gabe questioned, motioning to his mile long legs. Olivia nodded, rolling her eyes internally and took her place next to Rafael. She'd only just sat down when Fitz walked out in front of the group of parents and players. The room erupted in applause for him as he walked down toward the center of the room.

"Geez, they act like it's the president or something." Rafael whispered in Liv's direction, earning a small giggle from her.

From his place in the front of the room, Fitz immediately spotted Olivia and Gabriel. He felt left out and unimportant looking at the two sitting next to each other. Fitz also caught sight of Olivia giggling with the parent sitting next to her. He was livid, but he had to shake it off and get on with the meeting. He read the first line of his notes and began with the agenda for that morning.

It was a relatively short meeting, only lasting around forty-five minutes. Fitz flipped to the last page of his notes, quickly reading over what he had. "Alright, that's all I have for you guys. In the attached conference room we have some refreshments and sign up sheets. We're asking that parents sign up to volunteer. We have different committees including fundraising, team building, and many others. I strongly encourage everyone to sign up, but first time parents would benefit the most from volunteering." He said into his microphone, looking directly at Olivia as the words left his mouth. "Alright, I hope y'all are ready for a winning season. Now you can all eat, mingle, and sign up. I'll be in shortly to answer any other questions."

Olivia, Gabe, Rafael, and RJ all walked into the next room as a group, with the younger two splitting and joining some other teammates quickly.

"As a second year parent, I feel like it's my job to be a guide to you." Rafael said, handing her a steaming cup of coffee.

"Oh really?" Olivia graciously accepted the cup, smirking at him suspiciously. "And what exactly should I know, Mr. Tour Guide?"

The two made their way towards the table of sign up sheets. It was pretty empty at the moment, with a few parents hovering around it. "Well, first, you want to sign up first and socialize second. Otherwise you'll be in charge of feeding fifty two-hundred pound one wants to do that."

Olivia raised her brows, nodding at what he'd told her and surveying all of the sheets. "Then what would you suggest, wise one?"

"None of them. I go to the games and I support my son. I didn't sign up last year and I'm doing the same this year." He chuckled, sipping his coffee and Olivia couldn't help to laugh along with him.

He turned to face her as she still looked at all of the sheets. "I think I'm just going to do carpool and fundraising." She mumbled, thinking those two were the best options.

"Two? You're an ambitious one, aren't you?"

"I just like to do my part." She smirked, leaning over and adding her name to the top of the lists. "Now give me the scoop on the parents. Who do I need to avoid? Whose good side do I need to get on?"

Across the room, Gabe and RJ watched their parents as discreetly as possible. Both young boys had plates filled high with pastries and other breakfast foods that they were using as a cover to their spying. "I think they're into each other, G." RJ told him, stuffing a mini-powdered donut into his mouth.

"Really, Raf?" Gabriel questioned, trying not to be obvious in looking over his shoulder. "My mom's never dated anyone for as long as I can remember. I don't think she knows how to anymore..."

"Well she just nudged him and he's laughing. She's gotta be doing something right, man. Oh, wait Grant's walking over there now. He's being a fucking cockblock, bro."

"Don't use cockblock when you're talking about my mom." Gabe mumbled, turning and seeing his mom, Rafael and Coach Grant conversing. He took note that his usually confident mother wasn't making eye contact with Grant.

Fitz had seen Olivia talking with the man who'd come to visit him yesterday and decided to put himself into the conversation. The two were looking too cozy for his liking. While he'd smothered his feeling for Olivia years ago, he needed to make her feel some kind of uncomfort. He knew it was childish, but she'd kept his son from him for fifteen years and she deserved it.

"Can I look forward to seeing you both at some committee meetings, Ms. Polk and Mr.-?"

"It's Pope." Olivia said through gritted teeth, staring down into her coffee cup.

"Oh, yes I'm sorry. Pope, I'll try to remember next time." He said, patting her shoulder and turning to Rafael. "And please do forgive me, I can't seem to remember your name either."

"Sola. Rafael Sola." He said, scoffing at Fitz, clearly unimpressed with his behavior. "If you'll excuse me, I was just going to talk to the other parents." He said, leaving Olivia alone in the lion's den.

Olivia was not in the mood to be alone with Fitz, so she too was ready to excuse herself. "And I was just leaving." She told him, walking over to where Gabe sat at a table. Even though she thought her speed was sufficient in getting away from him, he was right on her heels and wasn't ready to let her get away that easily. She reached the table and opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that filled the air was much deeper and didn't belong to her.

"Gabriel, right?" Gabe shook his head, in awe that the Fitzgerald Grant had remembered his name. "I was just telling your mom that it's good that she got off of work to be here. I was really worried yesterday after she came to see me that she wouldn't be able to make it and you wouldn't be able to play this year. I read your record and stats. You seem very promising."

Olivia was nauseous listening to Fitz talk to Gabriel. She hadn't told him that she'd gone to see him. She hadn't told him that he wouldn't have been able to play if she hadn't come. She'd never imagine that the first time she was standing in the same place as Fitz and Gabe, Fitz would be tormenting her. She was on the verge of throwing up.

Before she knew it, Fitz was gone as quickly as he had appeared and Gabe was looking at her with a quizzical look. "You ready to go?" She asked him, pulling the car keys from her purse.

"Why didn't you tell me you saw him yesterday. That's why you weren't excited when I told you?" He questioned, standing and following her out of the room. "I know you really don't owe me anything but I told you last night that you could talk to me because I feel like you keep secrets from me, mom. I guess I was right." Gabe mumbled, walking in front of her and leaving her standing in the hall.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, the only reason this update was so fast was because of the damn snow cancelling classes and work. lol I've been stranded since tuesday. But since there was no Scandal, I thought I could at least give you guys a new chapter. A lot happened in this chapter and I realllly hope everyone liked it! By the way, the amount of love for the last chapter was fucking crazy. Y'all make me feel so good and I'm soo appreciative of the reviews!


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